


Our differences

by Universe7



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-21
Updated: 2015-10-12
Packaged: 2018-04-22 18:14:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4845452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Universe7/pseuds/Universe7
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Vegeta and Bulma met under different circumstances after he crash landed on Earth<br/>(Mild mentions of Bardock and Gine)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Survivor

  

**Note: For this chapter **

_Italic = the past before destruction of Planet Vegeta aka Vegeta-sei (Vegeta aged 5)_

Normal fonts = Present time (Vegeta aged 28, same age during the Freeza Saga)

 

**2nd Note: **

Due to the inconsistency of the DBZ timelines in the OVAs and the animation, I'm using 'Bardock – the father of Goku' as a time guideline. So Vegeta is 5 years old when Planet Vegeta was destroyed.

  

* * *

 

**Survivor **

 

_**~Vegeta-Sei~** _

 

_Vegeta laid on his bed, his tail swaying in frustration. A part of him was glad his father had decided to exclude him from the usual meeting, involving a certain ice-jin; the other part of him was disquiet... he cursed the ice-jin behind the safety of his room walls._

" _Be patient, your highness. One day when you're bigger, stronger, you will break these chains that bind you and take your rightful place as ruler. You will lead your people to glory and all shall know your name" his current temporary babysitter spoke._

" _I've heard that many times already, why are you here anyway? Where's Nappa?" Vegeta looked away from her._

_Vegeta paid little attention to the third-class female left in his company. He didn't know this female other than she was the mate of another third class warrior who had earned some recognition for his bravery, but still, a low class nonetheless._

" _His majesty requested that the commander accompany him, young prince. I will be your guardian tonight" she explained._

_Vegeta saw little reason for her to be here, but with every elite at his father's side for the sake of keeping up appearance in front of that ice-jin and the other warriors out, purging planets for that bastard. There were no other candidates for the task._

_Hn! It wasn't that he needed babysitting, much less from a low class who, from the looks of her, was likely unable to fight to save her own life, let alone safeguard his. He was more than capable of handling anything that came his way, but it was a custom he couldn't shake off no matter how much he wanted to. Some traditions were rooted deep and dated back many years, deeming the practice more necessary than common sense and this happened to be one of them._

" _Ch! I don't need a babysitter and you don't look like you can survive a beating"_

" _I'm not a fighter, your highness. I'm afraid you will not find me a challenge in a spar" she smiled, not disagreeing with his statement._

" _And they let someone like you watch me, are we so short of warriors that they had to make do with weaklings?" he snorted, giving her his back as he turned to his side._

" _Your highness is more than capable of defending yourself if trouble finds its way here"_

" _Damn right. Well? If you're going to stay in here for kami knows how long, then make yourself useful"_

" _Then perhaps I could tell you a little story?" she suggested._

" _I usually spar before I sleep and since you're not here for that, then you might as well bore me to sleep, that'll at least give me some hours of rest"_

" _Then I'll tell you a story I've heard when I was a young girl._

_It happened many years ago. On a planet somewhere very far away, there was once a warlord, a prince in his own right. He was powerful and deadly, leaving countless numbers of bodies wherever he went. He sought to unite as many states as he could conquer; both in and out of his territory, killing their leaders, taking whatever he wanted by force"_

" _Hn. The weak don't survive, that's the law of survival" Vegeta rolled his eyes, already seeing the end of this story. It was practically the same kind of stories Saiyan mothers liked telling their cubs. "Continue"_

" _As powerful and unstoppable he may be; he had many enemies. Your highness knows the saying 'know your enemies'. The warlord had many allies but he also had many enemies. One day, the warlord decided to take an overview tour of his conquered lands. He was accompanied by his general; the man in charge of his army._

_When they sat down on a field to rest, his general offered him a drink from his waterskin. The warlord accepted; but he was betrayed. His general had laced it with a poison that attacked his nerves, making it difficult for him to fight. The general attacked, intending to kill his former leader, believing he now had the upper hand"_

_Vegeta raised an eyebrow; deciding there was more to the tale than he initially thought. He opened his eyes, readily pushing sleep aside as he listened to the rest of the tale._

" _Despite his handicap and injuries the general inflicted on him, the warlord was a survivor; he fought fiercely for his life, until finally his enemy drew his last breath. The warlord wasn't out of danger yet, he was alone, in the middle of nowhere, bleeding from his wounds; he got up on his feet…?" she stopped and looked towards the door._

_Vegeta turned his head towards the door, having heard the light knocks on his door, followed by a voice he recognised; it was the voice of one of his usual guards. He gave the man his permission to enter._

" _Your highness" he entered and bowed respectfully, before turning to the female. "You can go now"_

_She nodded._

" _Then I will take my leave. I bid you goodnight, your highness" she bowed._

" _What!? Hey! Finish it first!" Vegeta sat up, his reaction betraying his initial front of non-interest._

" _Another time, I promise. Rest well your highness" with another bow, she took her leave._

 

* * *

 

**~Present time~**

 

He frowned. He knew he should have left Nappa and Raditz in charge or maybe let his soldiers to do the work, instead of insisting he take charge in the frontline as well; some habits die hard. He was a warrior before he became a ruler and some things are hard to change or adjust to, especially when he was used to leading on the battlefield instead of giving orders from a throne. The task of governing was going to be a challenge for Vegeta, while his father had taught him the basics of royal duties in his younger days; his upbringing focused a lot more on fighting, and then there were his days of servitude in Freeza's army, which only strengthened him in that field.

Vegeta glared at the ground, this wouldn't do… the soil was poor; no crops could grow from it and the humility… it would kill the seeds before anything could sprout.

"Ch! This planet's worthless, not even worth a glance" Raditz kicked a random rock.

"Nothing's even alive here but bugs and there aren't any proper minerals or resources here" Nappa frowned.

"Bloody waste of time" Vegeta narrowed his eyes as he started walking towards the pods. "Nappa! You and Raditz scout. You know how to reach me" he tapped on his scouter.

"Yeah got it. Raditz and I will head out separately and see what we can find, save us some time. Get a move on, Raditz"

3 pods left the inhabitable planet, leaving in 3 different directions.

 

* * *

 

Something was wrong.

Vegeta's sleep was disturbed by a loud siren, a warning… his screen immediately showed the problem, his pod was heading in the direction of a very large meteor at an alarming speed; giving him no time to change direction or brace for the enormous impact.

…

Vegeta cursed, spitting out blood as he dragged himself from the wreckage of his damaged pod, lying on the grass for a brief moment of rest after his ordeal. He was somewhat lucky… it could have been worse, much worse; his pod had managed to hold itself somewhat together long enough for an ungraceful emergency crash landing, breaking apart after entering the unknown planet's atmosphere.

It wasn't a planet he was familiar with. The galaxy was vast with unknown territory, many of which had yet to be discovered. This planet was one of them and the only hospitable one in the territory he had travelled into.

The downside of his 'lucky' escape was the condition of his body; his pod not being the only thing that had taken a beating from the meteor. The blow of the impact had damage the pod's air tank and disrupted the pressure control unit. The rapid loss of oxygen, the agonising pressure against his chest and the building up burn sensation inside him brought on by the merciless vacuum of space, forced him to take his chances and land on the closest planet.

He wasn't out of danger yet.

The duration of his flight had taken a bit of time. The prolong exposure to the space vacuum had ruptured his insides, likely his lungs, judging by how difficult breathing was; his superior Saiyan genes had helped him survive this long, but if left untreated…

He forced himself to stand, barely able to keep himself upright with his head spinning and the pain pounding hard in his chest with each breath he took. He staggered, distancing himself from the crash site one unsteady step at a time. It was the best he could manage in his current condition.

With sheer willpower, he dragged himself away from the grass field and made his way to what looked like flat solid ground. He barely took a step on the flat ground when a loud shriek and the sound of a roaring vehicle, shocked him.

He jumped out of the way, his survival instincts kicking in despite his battered condition. He landed on his feet, then on his knees as his injuries dragged him down. He hissed in pain; that suddenly jump did nothing good for his already broken body.

"Baka! What are you doing coming out of nowhere! I almost ran you over!"

Instantly, he made himself stand again; refusing to show weakness to anyone. He could barely make out the outline of a person, let alone what she said. His vision was going… and the voice was starting to sound distance… like a fading echo. Shit… consciousness was slipping from him and fast.

"Are you alright?" she came forward, realising the man was bleeding, now that she had a better look at him.

"Stay back…" Vegeta positioned his hand in front of him, channelling enough energy for a ki-blast; making a final stand. It worked. She stayed where she was, but she wouldn't leave.

"Look. I don't know what's your problem but you're hurt and you need help ok? Now put your hand down before you hurt someone"

Vegeta was surprised.

"I don't… need help" Vegeta stubbornly refused to extinguish the ki-blast, supporting his outstretched hand with his other hand.

"Right… honestly, if you're going to play tough guy then try to be more convincing" once again, she didn't back off; instead, she took a step forward and sighed. "You're in bad shape, stop being a stubborn ass"

Vegeta growled. He swore if she took another step he would fire; no more warnings. A gut crashing pain forced him into a crouching position, his ki-blast extinguished in the process. He brought his hand to his chest, the pain coming on in waves.

Blood ran down his lips, and more blood when he coughed; a thick mass of blood, both liquid and partial solidified… that meant he was bleeding internal… it was a bad sign.

Confusion and shock took over when Vegeta felt her support him with her shoulder, bringing his arm over hers; she helped him to his feet. She had managed to invade his personal space and he hadn't noticed…

"No more arguments. You're coming with me"

That was the last thing he heard. He could not have protested even if he wanted to. His world came to a complete stop, his vision blackened as he slipped unwillingly into an unpleasant abyss.

 

To be continued ~

 


	2. Road to recovery

 

**Note: For this chapter **

_Italic = the past before destruction of Planet Vegeta aka Vegeta-sei (Vegeta aged 5)_

Normal fonts = Present time (Vegeta aged 28, same age during the Freeza Saga)

 

**2nd Note: **

Due to the inconsistency of the DBZ timelines in the OVAs and the animation, I'm using 'Bardock – the father of Goku' as a time guideline. So Vegeta is 5 years old when Planet Vegeta was destroyed.

 

 

* * *

 

**Road to recovery**

 

_**~Vegeta-sei~** _

 

" _It's the prince!"_

" _Prince Vegeta!"_

_Voices echoed throughout the centre, spreading the news of the Saiyan Prince's arrival before he even set foot into the place. Immediately all work ceased, with every Saiyan going down on knee in a show of respect._

_He ignored them all, barely giving anyone a second glance as he looked for a particular face among the crowd. He spotted her some distance towards the back and proceeded to head in that direction, eventually stopping in front of her._

_She kept her eyes lowered, as expected of a third-class when in the presence of royalty._

" _Well?" he growled with impatience._

" _Your highness" she nodded once, still keeping her focus on the floor, having not received Vegeta's permission to stand, let alone look up._

_Vegeta caught on and immediately his face coloured. Too absorbed in his mission to find the third-class female, he had neglected to realise everyone was still on their knees, waiting for his permission to stand._

" _Stand!" he gave his permission none too gently, glaring at the female as if in anger; all to hide his embarrassment._

" _What can we do for you, your highness" another third-class came forward, a male; likely someone in charge of the centre._

_Vegeta paid him no heed; waving his hand to dismiss him, all the while his focus remained on the female in front of him._

" _I expect to see you in my room tonight" he spoke in a commanding tone, expecting his orders to be carried out._

" _Your highness?" she looked confused._

" _You will be there no later than the sun touches the mountains" and just like that, Vegeta turned and left the meat distribution centre; leaving everyone and especially her, stunned._

" _Gine? What's going on? Why would the prince specifically ask for you?" another female asked her, prompting everyone to turn in their direction; they were curious._

" _I don't know…" honestly, she didn't. A week had passed since her short stay in the prince's room due to unforeseen circumstances; she had expected it to be her first and last. The prince's unexpected visit had suggested otherwise._

_A whisper that was barely soft enough to be considered one caught her attention. Whispers of a suspicion too outrageous to be said; to be heard or caught suggesting such a thing was punishable by death._

_She hushed them all, it was impossible; she already has a mate. And the prince would not be interested in a third-class, older female; especially one years his senior, not to mention the prince was too young, just 5 years cycle._

…

_She made her way to the prince's bed chamber. There was still some time, the sun had just travelled towards the direction of the mountains, but it would soon disappear behind them and night would take its place._

" _Your highness?" she knocked on the door, opening it when he answered. The aroma of a delicious banquet greeted her as she entered the room; Vegeta was in the midst of having his dinner._

_~GROWL~_

_The smell assaulted her senses, reminding her that she had not eaten yet; now with her belly heavy with child, she was always hungry. It was loud enough to get his attention, causing him to pause and look at her; she blushed, apologising with a bow._

_A second growl had him roll his eyes. He should have been more specific and informed her to have her meal first before coming to his room._

" _Get over here" he kicked the chair towards his left, moving it about 3 feet from the dining table; an indication or invitation for her to sit and join him at the table._

_She blinked, surprised, shocked more specifically. Third-class Saiyans were not allowed to dine in the same space as the elites, let alone at an elite or in this case, royalty's table. Not only that… to accept food from a male Saiyan was to give him leave, permission to courtship. A replay of the whispers at the meat distribution centre came to her mind. Impossible… the prince was too young and she's already mated!_

" _Didn't you hear me?! Get over here, sit down and eat! I want to hear the rest of that blasted tale and I don't want any sound effects from you!" he tore a whole leg of some roasted beast and shoved it into his mouth, chewing with more force than usual._

_Oh… could it be? She smiled to herself; she did promise to tell him the rest of that tale, didn't she? Looks like his highness would have her keep her promise, even if it meant arranging for her to be his guardian again._

_She moved forward, pausing slightly in front of the chair, waiting in case the prince changed his mind. When he didn't stop her, she sat down; thanking him before partaking in the meal._

…

" _The warlord kept going until his feet could carry him no further. Eventually he collapsed; weak from the loss of blood and on the verge of death. As luck would have it, the warlord had collapsed some distance from an independent village and was discovered by a small hunting group._

_They brought him into the village and tended to his wounds, death did not claim him that day; he lived"_

" _Hn. He was just lucky" Vegeta rolled his eyes._

" _He was, but he had a long road to recovery ahead of him. The villagers opened their doors to him, not aware that he was the man whom they feared would one day conquer their lands. He was given a place to rest and recuperate in the village elder's home"_

" _So they invited their own deaths to their door. Fools, the lot of them"_

" _Some would call them that and some would say they're soft. They're kind, willing to give others a chance; and he was injured, they couldn't leave him to the wild beasts"_

" _Soft and foolish. Hn, they only have themselves to blame if their homes burn to the ground. Continue"_

" _The elder had a daughter and she was the one tasked with the duty of nursing him back to health"_

_Vegeta raised an eyebrow. A female? Kami… this was going to turn into a love story, he just knew it would. Gine saw the look on his face and smiled._

" _Not so fancy and not all mushy, your highness. She worked the soils, her fingers were rough, her skin was tan; her hair wasn't silky and her eyes were fierce like wild fire. She wasn't as beautiful as the fair women of his status; she didn't adorn herself with colours or jewels nor did she hide behind a smile. Everything about her was on the surface and she didn't hesitate to let the warlord know she didn't like him. Nevertheless, she obeyed her father and took care of him._

_He didn't make her work easy though. After 5 days he was confident he was well enough to leave and refused to be cared for, in his terms, being coddled by anyone and especially a woman whom he saw as inferior, compared to himself; and so, she proposed a deal. She challenged him to a one to one duel and if he won, he was free to leave; but if she won, he would accept that he still needs time to recover"_

_Vegeta snorted once, a grin starting to show on his face. Interesting… A fearless female, but still a woman. What could she do against a warrior?_

" _He accepted the terms and so they duelled. The outcome wasn't one he expected but one he had to accept. She had managed to overwhelm him, forcing him to yield when she had him in a choke lock"_

_Gine had to stop for a moment, smiling at the prince whose eyes were wide open; absolutely taken aback by the outcome as well. The look on Vegeta's face was priceless, but she decided not to comment on it; he would not take it well._

" _Impossible! He was a warrior, how could a mere female defeat him?!" it made no sense to Vegeta._

" _He wasn't at his best and he underestimated his opponent. She knew he wasn't well enough to fight and used that to her advantage, she had to show him what he refused to admit to himself" she explained._

" _Hn. Smart strategy but still dishonourable" Vegeta accepted the reason, crossing his arms with a frown. "So he stayed"_

_She nodded. "He did, as agreed; promising that he would duel her again. She agreed with the understanding that if he should ever win, he'd be free to go"_

_Vegeta nodded as if in approval._

_He was about to tell her to continue when something caught his attention at the corner of his eye and he turned, towards his room window. 5 streaks of light appeared in the night sky, entering Vegeta-sei's atmosphere… that meant 5 space pods were returning._

" _Space pods. 5 of them" he said casually._

" _5? Bardock…" she smiled._

" _Bardock?" That was a name he knew. The third-class warrior who had proven himself and was allowed to lead a team, a privilege reserved for the elites. "Go if you want, but I expect you to return the following night" he gave his permission, having seen that look on her face._

_Hidden away from the public's eye, Vegeta looked down from his balcony; the pods had landed moments ago. He watched as the hatch opened, revealing the Saiyan with a scar on his cheek._

 

* * *

 

**~Earth~**

 

Vegeta thought he could hear the sound of a beep… and another… a constant sound… like a heartbeat. A heart rate machine maybe… He tried to open his eyes, the lids felt heavy and there was pain… his chest hurt.

Vegeta gasped and in all haste, forced his body into a sit up position; forcing consciousness to return and immediately, he regretted his impulsive decision. He felt a sharp agonising pull in his chest, the pain more obvious now; the sensation mimicking the one incident where Freeza had his rib cage crashed, squeezing his internal organs and puncturing them in the process.

Too much in pain to attempt to sit upright, he collapsed readily back onto the bed, taking quick intakes of breaths. Breathing wasn't without pain, but he noticed it wasn't as excruciating as it had been earlier… that reminded him…

He took a careful look at his surroundings… he was in a room, hooked up to Cardiac Monitor… a rejuvenation ward?

He heard the sound of a turning knob and his eyes shifted to the door. In came that same woman, carrying a tray of something that smelled great in her hands. He kept his eyes on her, in just case.

"Saw you were awake" she pointed upwards, referring to the surveillance cam attached to the wall and he frowned, so he was being monitored as well.

"So do you remember me?"

Vegeta ignored her, turning his face elsewhere; not in the least interested in conversation. She raised an eyebrow.

"What were you doing in the middle of nowhere and what happened?"

Again her attempt at conversation was met with silence.

"Hey, did your injuries cause some temporary damage to your hearing? Or did something get stuck in your throat? Need me to use sign language?" she asked sarcastically.

Silence again…. Then…

"You're the woman who almost ran over me. None of your business, not your concern. No, no and no" he answered her questions in the order they were asked.

It took her awhile to figure out what he meant, but eventually she did. She narrowed her eyes then 'gently' placed the bowl of fish porridge she brought him awhile ago on the overbed table, crossing her arms after.

"I'm sure you can feed yourself!"

"Hn" he pushed himself up, hissing when the pain hit him hard again.

The sight of him struggling to sit up and the groans that came out of him was impossible to ignore, no matter how much she tried. With a resigned sigh, she came forward again.

"Here" she brought the two pillows in an upright, vertical position before positioning them behind him. Gently, she coaxed him to lean back; but even that required quite a bit of effort on his part, then she pushed the overbed table closer towards him.

Vegeta leaned back with her support, annoyed that he had to resort to accepting her aid. There was nothing he hated more than being coddled; if Nappa or Raditz had been here, he'd be ashamed. Oh fuck!

"Oi! Woman, where's my scouter?!"

"What? What's a scouter?"

"I had it on when you came along. Where is it?!"

"Oh! You mean that white suit? It was beyond salvage so I threw it"

"That's not what I asked! What?!" he removed the blanket, revealing a simple yukata instead of his saiyan armour.

"I didn't undress you if that's what you're asking" she supplied when he looked in her direction again. My father and a friend did, ok? It's true!" she insisted when he raised his eyebrows at her.

He wasn't embarrassed, far from it. Saiyans were not a shy species; he had already lost count of the times he had been seen in his birthday suit, mostly by paramedics and comrades; male and female.

"Whatever. And that's not what I was asking about"

"Oh. Then you must mean that green lens thing. It's broken too" she confirmed his suspicions.

"Fuck!" he cursed and was about to slam his hands on the overbed table when the pain made its presence known again. He hissed, cursing his damn luck.

"Hey it's no big deal. I can fix it but I'll need some time"

He snorted; that was big talk for a woman. "In case you didn't know, woman. That scouter is one of the most advanced piece of equipment…"

"It's a telecommunication and a calculator of sorts" she interrupted him. Mentally giving herself a point for shocking him into silence. "No sweat for a genius, I work with these big, bad boys every day. "

He wasn't expecting that.

"I'll take a look at it, now would you eat? You've been unconscious for 2 days and you need to replenish your strength. By the way… did you know your lungs were a bloody mess? We've dealt with the worse of it, but even I wasn't sure you'd make it. What happened?"

She just doesn't give up, does she? Vegeta sighed in annoyance, opting to avoid answering that question by focusing on the food instead.

"And that tail…? You know, my friend, Goku. He had one just like that"

That caught his attention. There was another Saiyan here?

"Where is he? Get him over here!" Vegeta pushed himself forward again.

"Hey take it easy! He's not here now!" she came closer, stopping him before he hurt himself. Her good intentions were not taken too kindly.

"Woman, get out of my way or I swear I'll finish what I started" he growled threateningly. Then in a swift shove that surprised him, she pushed him back none too gently; his back slammed against the two pillows. That shove had stung, but it was the shock that she managed that at all, that got to him; immediately that shock changed to rage. "How dare you"

She was quicker however; his injuries responsible for slowing him down considerably. She kept her hand against his chest; A dangerous gesture should he be well enough to move. He was testing her patience and he was pushing it, successfully he had brought that patience up to her neck. Slowly, she removed her hand from his chest and raised a finger, right in his face. A gesture that held his attention and shut him up, but didn't stop him from glaring.

"Now look here, you ungrateful jerk! My name is Bulma, Bulma Briefs; not woman and I said before my friend isn't here right now and I have no way to contact him until he comes over. Second, if you so much as threaten me again, you can forget about your scouter thing. Third, you're in no condition to be moving around yet, you're welcome to stay here until you recover and you will do that and be grateful. Once you've recovered, you can show yourself to the door for all I care, but not when you run the possibility of being found dead out there. Do you hear me?!" she glared at him with both hands now on her hips.

Vegeta blinked once, surprised. He should have been angry at her or at the very least take offence at the audacity of her actions; yet that anger never came. Instead, he smirked, snickering softly moments later. So this woman had some fire in her after all; she had won this round. He grudgingly admitted to himself, but only because he was injured and if what she said was true then he still needed her. His scouter was in dire need of repair if he was to call for another pod.

"What's so funny" she frowned.

"You're crazy, woman" he shook his head, his smirk still present on his face.

"Bulma" she corrected him again.

"Vegeta"

"Huh?"

"My name" Vegeta answered, feeling a little more generous with his information and she relaxed.

His smirk was contagious, granted it wasn't a smile but the aura that radiated from him was rather calm and… nice, in a weird sense surprisingly and she smiled back; the atmosphere of the room returning to its serene state.

"Just eat before it gets cold"

"What the hell is this slop?" Vegeta stared at the strange looking stew like, semi-solid gruel.

"Just. eat. it" a vein was starting to show on her temple.

He took a taste, not because she told him to, but because he was hungry. Hmmm… taste better than it looked, it had the texture of soft grains, the flavour of fish and little slices of fish in it. He ate slowly, even the intake of food caused him some level of discomfort, but it was bearable.

' _Ring! Ring! Ring!'_

"Hello dad? I'm fine. Yeah… ah... no. It strangely disappeared around 3 days back. Everyone's calling it a lucky escape but I'm telling you, I saw this light heading towards it… it looked as if superman had knocked that meteoroid out of space. It was gone and that light too… oh about that thing that came into the Earth's atmosphere? What did you find? Really?! That's amazing! I'd like to see it! What? Oh. Yeah he's up… speedy and amazing recovery but he still needs rest. I'll see you when you get back. See you dad" she hung up the call.

"What was that?" Vegeta asked slowly, having heard some parts of that conversation.

"My dad" she told him briefly.

"What was that Meteoroid thing you were talking about?" he asked. He had a guess, but for some strange reason he wanted to be sure.

"Oh that? There was actually a massive meteoroid that would have come crashing towards Earth within the next half century, but it disappeared from sight just 3 days back after hitting something that seemed like another smaller meteoroid" she explained to him, surprised that he was interested.

"And what did your father find?" he pushed for the answer.

"There was something else that came into the Earth's atmosphere around the same time I found you. I was actually heading towards there and you showed up… I couldn't leave you there so I asked my dad to go see what it was. Turns out it was some kind of wreckage… but on careful inspection, my dad said it might be an alien transportation of sorts. Isn't it exciting?! He's bringing it over, so we'll know sooner or later… what's wrong?"

She watched as Vegeta's facial expression changed into a scowl. What's wrong with him… wait… she found him some distance from where the source of the crash would have been… his lungs were bleeding and showed evidence of being ruptured, a common symptom of being exposed to space vacuum… then he had a telecommunication technology she hadn't seen before… Are you kidding…

"That was… you?" she asked, having connected the dots and came up with a wild guess; one that was of the highest possibility.

"Both the collision and the crash. And that was my space pod" he answered none too happily.

 

To be continued ~

 


	3. Fitting in (Part 1)

**Note: For this chapter**

_Italic = the past before destruction of Planet Vegeta aka Vegeta-sei (Vegeta aged 5)_

Normal fonts = Present time (Vegeta aged 28, same age during the Freeza Saga)

 

**2nd Note: **

Due to the inconsistency of the DBZ timelines in the OVAs and the animation, I'm using 'Bardock – the father of Goku' as a time guideline. So Vegeta is 5 years old when Planet Vegeta was destroyed.

 

 

* * *

 

** Fitting in (Part 1) **

 

**_~Vegeta-sei~_ **

 

_"_ _But you've only just returned" Gine looked at her mate in dismay, setting down the last of the food she prepared for him. "Planet Kanassa's a dangerous planet, isn't it? Not even Lord Freeza's elites wanted to take on that mission"_

_That statement only piqued Bardock's interest, fuelling his battle lust; determination flaring in his eyes._

_"_ _Then we'll show them how it's done" Bardock began to eat, tearing the meat off the bones in seconds; exhibiting the typical eating style of the species, mostly the fighters. He polished off 2 plates before he took notice that his mate had not begun to take her share, instead, she watched him. He knew that look too well._

_"_ _What?" he asked, his tone monotone, disinterested._

_"_ _The birth is soon, Bardock… couldn't you stay for it?" she asked, rubbing her swollen belly gently as she did._

_"_ _What does it matter? The kid's going to pop out whether I'm here or not" Bardock reached for another piece of meat._

_"_ _You weren't here for Raditz's birth eith-"_

_"_ _And that kid came out just fine. Now's the perfect time, in a few days the moon will be out, opportunities like that don't come by often" Bardock gritted his teeth as he explained with exasperation._

_Bardock groaned as his mate said nothing, his brows twitching as she continued to watch him… nagging at him with silence. He turned his head, chewing the meat as he did his best to evade her stare. Both brows twitched as his attempts to ignore her pleading look, her frowning lips and basically her body language began to fail. He growled._

_"_ _Fine! The sooner I leave, the sooner I can return!"_

_She smiled at her apparent victory. Her mate had made her a promise to try to be here and it was enough._

_"_ _Thank you, Bardock"_

_"_ _Ch!" he grumbled, his pride having taken a small dive after he had yielded to her request as he had on several occasions before._

_"_ _What do you want to call him?" Gine asked._

_"_ _What?"_

_"_ _We're having another boy" she rubbed her belly, nodding at Bardock, who nodded once in approval._

_"_ _It's just a name, you name him" Bardock sank his teeth into his food again._

_"_ _I want you to name him… so you'll know it's him when you return" Gine held no illusion that her mate might not be in time to see their son's birth despite his promise; his next mission was rumoured to be difficult and dangerous, she knew this to be true._

_He frowned, groaning lightly at her insistence, he chewed on his food slowly, pondering on a name._

_"_ _Kakarotto" he said after some thought._

_"_ _Kakarotto" she smiled._

_"_ _Now would you eat up" he reached for another piece of meat, bringing it towards her direction, offering it to her instead._

_She took the offered meat with thanks, finally digging into the meal. Her mate was hardly ever home, but she would savour the times he returned before his missions, his lust for battle took him elsewhere. Fighting was never one of her strengths, and while she had not missed the field work, aka purge, during her time as a member of her mate's team, she missed the times when they were together even if she needed more rescuing than she could remember. It was for the best that she left the team for the labour work instead, she would only hinder him and she could not afford to distract him._

_A few seconds into the meal and she felt something coil around her ankle. She smiled when she realised what that was. Her mate would never say it, not under oath or torture, perhaps not even in the face of death, but she always knew. She uncoiled her tail from her waist; reaching downwards, locating his tail around her ankle. Their tails touched and he hooked his with hers, like hands as fingers intertwined. On the surface, his face gave nothing away._

_…_

_Where was she!? The gall, making him come all this way, this was the second time he had to go find her! Vegeta made his way towards the sleeping quarters, impatience drove him, the night was still young but he had not wanted to wait any longer._

_Reaching the 3rd class_ _sleeping quarters, his annoyance level went soaring, reaching the skies when he took his first glimpse of the numerous dome shaped nests. He knew there were quite a number of 3_ _rd_ _class citizens but this… damn it!_

_…_

_Thankfully his search ended quickly, having asked, no demanded another 3_ _rd_ _class tell him where Bardock's nest was. He made his way towards the structure and showed himself in without knocking. The hall was empty, but he could hear noises coming from behind the drape towards the back of the hall._

_The sight that greeted him when he pulled the drape aside wasn't what he was expecting to find…_

_That 3_ _rd_ _class female and that 3_ _rd_ _class warrior Bardock, both naked; he had her pinned under him, overpowering her as far as Vegeta saw it and the strange sounds that came out of her. Misinterpreting the whole scene before him, Vegeta growled, in an instant, he had delivered a flying kick, sending his boot into Bardock's cheek._

_Bardock turned slightly having sensed an oncoming attack but wasn't quick enough to parry the kick as it sent him tumbling to the side, off his mate and onto the floor._

_"_ _Bardock?!" Gine exclaimed in shock, covering herself with a blanket before turning to face their intruder, receiving yet another shock when she realise who the attacker was._

_"_ _What the fuck!?" Bardock got to his feet, pissed, then confused when he saw a kid glaring at him. "Oi kid! What the hell did you do that for?!" he hissed almost disdainfully, failing to recognise the identity of the boy._

_"_ _Bardock" Gine turned to him, gesturing to him to not say anything disrespectfully or in this case, not say anything at all._

_"_ _I am 'Prince' Vegeta! You will address me so!" he growled, angered at the audacity of this 3_ _rd_ _class, the lack of due respect and most noted the obvious lack of recognition. Fools, they should know their royalties no matter how often they were sent off planet._

_"_ _So you're the prince" Bardock rubbed his cheek, brushing Gine's warnings off his back, smirking as he took another look at the Saiyan Prince. He had heard much about him, mostly his fierce fighting spirit but today was the first time he ever saw him. He looked so much like his sire, he recalled, having seen the man during his rally before the war against the Tuffles._

_"_ _You would stoop so low as to attack a female heavy with cub, unable to defend herself!?" Vegeta pointed accusingly at Bardock. "What the hell were you trying to accomplish, ramming yourself against her that way!?"_

_"_ _Eh?" Gine and Bardock shared confused looks before both adults realised what Vegeta meant._

_"_ _Your highness, it's not what you think… Bardock wasn't attacking me" Gine tried to explain as she got to her feet._

_Bardock roared with laughter the moment the picture became clear to him; more at the circumstance surrounding the misunderstanding than the prince's innocence. Oh the prince was definitely too young; it was absolutely amusing. Vegeta's tail bristled at the laughter, taking offense at what seemed like a 3_ _rd_ _class laughing at him._

_"_ _We were screwing, fucking, young prince" Bardock still had that smirk on his face. "That's how cubs are made"_

_"_ _Bardock!" Gine frowned at her mate, who stood butt naked, making no attempts to clothe himself. Saiyans aren't usually shy about these things, but such 'education' should be taught when cubs were older and by the cub's parents or guardians._

_"_ _She already has a cub in there, can't you wait until it's out before you attempt to put another one in?!" Vegeta hissed, crossing his arms as he did; feeling justified with his accusation. He was the prince of all saiyans and he had a responsible to his people, no matter how young he might be._

_Bardock laughed even harder, oh kami, the prince was just too much! Even Gine had to fight back a smile but failed. Vegeta's scowl deepened and his tail bristled to 3 times its original size. Bardock then came around the cot he shared with his mate, to stand before Vegeta. Vegeta blinked, astonished at the massive appendage that was standing upright in his face. Sure he knew what that thing was… he was a guy, he had one too, but he had never seen one that big before or one that stood that straight._

_He went on one knee, so he may speak to the prince at eye level and not blatantly have him on the same eye level as his semi-hard member, demonstrating the level of respect he was willing to give, not one that was due to the prince or demanded._

_"_ _You're alright, prince" he said with an approving look on his face and a hand on his head, not that Vegeta needed his approval._

_Vegeta snorted and reached up to smack that hand on his head, Bardock smirked as he removed his hand, his lips drew back in a grin._

_"_ _I'll see you in your room, your highness?" Gine approached, drawing Vegeta's attention back to her._

_Vegeta frowned, how quickly he had forgotten what he came for. He took another look at Bardock then back at Gine and nodded, satisfied that what he witnessed earlier wasn't an attack, judging by the clear absence of trauma and the lack of bruises and blood that went hand in hand with any attack._

_"_ _Settle what needs to be settled before you come over" he made his way out, his face showing boredom as he left the nest, his way of hiding his embracement at his judgement. He would not apologise, not even he would humble himself enough to offer an apology to a 3_ _rd_ _class but he had given them the time needed to 'finish up or clean up' whatever it was they were doing, his own way of giving back for the 'uncalled for attack' on Bardock and the interruption of whatever the heck a fuck and screw was. As far as Vegeta was concerned, all Bardock did was give his mate a body slam repeatedly at the lower region._

_"_ _Hn. The prince has some fire in him, he isn't all talk like the king" Bardock instinctively rubbed the bruise that became to form on his cheek. It stung slightly, damn the prince was strong for his age._

_"_ _Bardock. You shouldn't let anyone hear you say that" she hushed him, though inwards she agreed with her mate, but what could they do… the king was just as much a pawn like the rest of them. Soldiers paid to do a job without asking questions, but Freeza… she shuddered._

_The Ice-jin was powerful and dangerous, feared across the entire galaxy. No one in the galaxy was unaware of his lesser qualities, but no one was powerful, brave or foolish enough to disobey._

_But would their obedience, loyalty be enough?_

_She leaned towards her mate, coiling her tail around his thigh, bringing a hand across his strong chest, reminding him of the business they've left off at hand. Prince Vegeta had granted her and Bardock leave; time and she wanted to utilise it to the fullest before he left for his mission._

_…_

_"_ _He left for another mission" Vegeta looked towards the night sky as the same 5 space pods left Vegeta-sei's atmosphere._

_"_ _He did. For Planet Kanassa" Gine sat herself comfortable on the floor._

_"_ _What was that thing he did?"_

_"_ _Thing? Your highness?" she blinked, unable to comprehend his question._

_"_ _You said he wasn't hurting you, so what was that he did" Vegeta grumbled when she made him repeat himself._

_"_ _It's something adults do, your highness…" she blushed a tiny bit, trying to find the appropriate words to explain to a child. "It comes after… a courtship, after the bite and… these things would be explained to you when you come of age, your highness… I don't have the authority to tell more before then"_

_"_ _Ch!" Vegeta was less than pleased, again someone rubbed in a reminder of his age and inexperience in his face; no matter how true it was, that was unwarranted but a truth he had to accept. He wasn't weak but he was, still too young and he could not change that fact as much as he wished he could._

_"_ _Whatever! If you're not going to tell me then get on with the rest of it" Vegeta crossed his arms as he sat on his bed, waiting for her to continue._

_…_

_"_ _The warlord kept his word and stayed on, his previous defeat at the hands of that girl made him all the more determined to win their next battle before he returned to his capital._

_After 2 more days of rest, the girl decided that he was well enough to leave the confinements of the place of healing but not enough to leave the village as yet. She ignored his protests and taunts, turned down his demands for another battle, it was too soon and they both knew he wasn't ready to take up his weapon once again. And so she decided if he had that much free time on his hands, he might as well help with some chores._

_Most of the village's young men would travel further into the forest to forage and hunt for prey in the day and would only return close to evening. A small handful of them stayed behind with the women and tended the fields, the animals they reared for food and basically attend to their homes and needs._

_He resisted, refusing to be assigned a task beneath his status but she would have none of that. Those who do not work, do not eat and in a remote place such as the village, their labour decides whether they would suffer starvation or have food on the table._

_Against his will, he was made to work the soil alongside her so she may access his condition and keep an eye on him. He was raised to be a fighter, a warlord, a conquer; his hands were meant to wield a weapon, not to take on a task meant for slaves and peasants. He knew nothing of hard labour and it showed on the surface, so she taught him, showed him the ways of her world._

_3 weeks passed. Amongst their differences, clashes and bickering, she guided him with disciplined patience and at the end of the day, though they fell short of the daily quota; they were able to look back at what they've accomplished with their own hands, blood, sweat and toil with satisfaction. They said nothing, there was no need for words as she tended to the blisters on the palm of his hands, as they sat down for their last meal of the day. He watched as she took a bite of the crop they've harvested in the day, a crop he sowed weeks before._

_She nodded and told him to eat up, to relish the fruit of their hard work; he did, relishing the rewards of his work"_

_"_ _She's fearless. How did she do it, command a warrior like she did without repercussion" Vegeta couldn't understand how a warrior would allow himself to take orders, even if said girl had won their match._

_"_ _She understands the importance of earning what you receive, but she isn't without reason. Though she made him work the fields, she took on the same workload and laboured beside him. No more and no less. He saw all this and was determined to prove himself to her that he could do the same, if not more" Gine paused so she could explain._

_"_ _Hn. He's brained washed" Vegeta rolled his eyes, too young to understand how adults think, but pride, he could associate. The warrior was a proud man and the idea that a woman might be better than him would make even Vegeta determined to prove her wrong._

_"_ _Ooh!" Gine brought her hands over her belly._

_Vegeta turned towards her, raising a brow. "What is it?"_

_"_ _He kicked" she ran her a hand gently over her belly._

_Vegeta switched his attention towards her belly. Kicked? He stared._

_"_ _Would you like to feel it, your highness?"_

_Vegeta looked away immediately, crossing both his arms and legs as he rotated his body to one side. "Why would I want to do that!?" he hesitated, he was genuinely curious but even his curiosity wasn't enough to have him cast his pride aside, to have him associate too closely with a 3_ _rd_ _class, aside from his current company, but even then her company was temporary…_

_In his moment of distraction, a hand reached for his._

_"_ _Here" gently, she placed his palm against her belly. "Do you feel that?"_

_Not once did his eyes blink, at first due to shock that the female actually dared cross over her boundaries and touch him; the second in the form of astonishment when he felt something kick against his palm._

_He withdrew his hand immediately with surprise._

_"_ _He kicked my hand" he answered, his face filled with awe at his first experience with an active, unborn cub. As expected, like a curious child, he reached forward again… forgetting his initial hesitation._

_She smiled, amused at the prince's enthusiasm as he reached forward to feel her stomach again. She was further tickled when he went on to testing the baby's responses, gently pressing his palm against her belly in various locations and Kakarotto responding to every touch. If she didn't know better she would have thought the two of them were playing, or sparring._

_"_ _He anticipated all of my moves. He knows where my hand's going to land on" Vegeta said after awhile, smirking slightly as he continued to try to get the upper hand on the baby._

_…_

_He was reluctant to stop but the night had gone on longer than usual; Gine was tired and had requested that she be allowed to take her leave. He granted it, dismissing her so she may return to her nest and rest; under his orders, the guard watching his door opened the door so she may leave._

_"_ _I expect you to return the next day, don't be late!"_

_"_ _Goodnight your highness, I'll see you tomorrow" Gine smiled at his attempt to be assertive, having caught the reason behind the authoritative tone. He had allowed her to see a side of him he thought was weak, unbecoming of a future ruler and had felt the need to re-establish his role, his position and remind her of hers._

_He wasn't capable of fooling her entirely however, she was a mated female and a mother. Her own son Raditz was hardly ever home, even at his young age his duties often took him elsewhere. The times when he was around however, he would always seek his parents out. She had noticed how he would often anticipate his father's return, how he would always want to be home before dinner was ready, eager to tell her how his mission went, how well he did._

_But should his teammates be with him, his demeanour would change; acting all brattish and loud so as to not be seen as a child in the eyes of his peers; a child still tied to his mother's apron strings. She shook her head before a smile appeared on her face as she stroked her belly, soothing the boy sleeping in her belly._

 

To be continued ~

 


	4. Fitting in (part 2)

**Note: For this chapter**

_Italic = the past before destruction of Planet Vegeta aka Vegeta-sei (Vegeta aged 5)_

Normal fonts = Present time (Vegeta aged 28, same age during the Freeza Saga)

 

**2nd Note:**

Due to the inconsistency of the DBZ timelines in the OVAs and the animation, I'm using 'Bardock – the father of Goku' as a time guideline. So Vegeta is 5 years old when Planet Vegeta was destroyed.

 

 

* * *

 

**Fitting in (part 2)**

 

**~Present time~**

 

"I'm going to kill him!" Bulma's voice could be heard as she stormed the corridors of Capsule Corps, going from room to room, searching for her elusive 'guest'.

Barely over 2 weeks and already her guest had come close to driving her up the wall; close only because she lacked the ability to climb the side walls to the celling; or fly.

The first time he managed to drive her nuts, he had wandered the layout of Capsule Corp in the middle of the night and raided her fridge. She wasn't mad about the fridge, not even after he had destroyed its door, but she was infuriated at him for moving about in his condition. If he was hungry, he should have called for her; that was what the button on the side table, next to his bed was for. He stubbornly refused and had rather preferred that he staggered and dragged his barely, no… not even close to healed body to the kitchen.

The second time he had almost given her a heart attack when she found him on the floor beside his bed. She later discovered, most of the information from the 'alien' horses' mouth that he hadn't fallen off the bed, he was getting his body back in shape… with push ups; collapsing when the pain became too great for him, that part she summarised when he failed, refused to explain why she found him lying on the floor. Her brows twitched as her temper rose to the surface, then… she screamed at him.

Not that it helped.

It happened again the next day. Once again he had ignored her warnings that his body wasn't strong enough for strenuous exercises. He had only himself to blame when he had proven her right, the stubborn mule had collapsed once again, you'd think the guy would have learnt… but this time, he had torn his stitches open causing his wounds to bleed once again on top of inflicting further strain on his already battered internal organs.

Leave it to the guy to aggravate the situation. Damn moron! Someone should give the guy a gold medal for the Masochist Olympics.

The whole drama resulted in him being unconscious for 2 days. Two whole solid days of blissful rest and peace, for him at least, the same couldn't be said for his caregiver, but if there was one consolation to be had from that incident, this would be it; it allowed Bulma the chance to see to his injures without having to fight him all the time.

And the 2 days of rest had done fairly much for his injures, unfortunately not enough for his recovery. No one could recover that quickly, especially one who should have died, having been exposed to the dangers as he had. He survived but still had some ways to go before he made a full recovery, something made harder due to his stubbornness which so happened to be on par with his recklessness.

Then again… if he was anywhere the same as her childhood friend, Goku- then it shouldn't at all be a surprise. The guy had always pursued new challenges, always ready to train for long durations of time; not even injures could slow him down. He was a bottomless pit; that part proven identical when her guest cleaned out her fridge of a week's food supply in one night during his food hunt. And an alien… what a shocker; what type was anyone's guess. Her guest wasn't much of a 'conversationist', the most she got out of the whole summary was this alien species was known as a Saiyan, a warrior or fighter type, seeing how Goku always seemed eager to charge head on into a battle. And her guest, Vegeta demonstrated his need for exercise; just like Goku.

Sigh… If only her friend had a phone or some other way of communication. Then maybe she could shut him up with his constant demands where Goku was, which in turn meant one less headache for her.

She resumed her search, now that Vegeta was able to walk about without much aid, he was proving to be a challenge for her to keep up with. The guy couldn't be found if he didn't want to be found. She couldn't decide which was worse, him being an ass, wanting to get out of bed with a broken body or him up and about doing random shit now that the worse of his injures had passed.

With all these constant interruptions, it was getting harder to find time to meet project deadlines, much less have ample time for anything else. At this rate it would be some time before she finished fixing his scouter.

And it's his fault!

That guy has got to get a hobby, something to get him out of unnecessary trouble and off her back.

…

"Oh good morning dear, you're just in time for breakfast" her mother called from the kitchen.

"Can't now, Mom!" she gave a hurried reply as she continued her search.

2 seconds later Bulma stopped in her tracks and began retracing a few steps back, she looked into the kitchen; coming close to a boiling point when she finally located the source of her headache.

Vegeta ignored her as he concentrated on the meal, now this tasted better than the raw fare he sampled moments before that woman's mother came into the kitchen; or that gruel she fed him for the first few days he stayed.

"You- JERK!" she screamed, shocking everyone, including their black cat, Tama. Vegeta, however, kept on eating, ignoring her completely.

"What's wrong dear?" Panchii asked as she brought over a fresh pot of coffee.

"Did something happen, Bulma?" Dr Brief looked up from his papers.

"What happened!? What happened?! This guy's what happened!" Bulma pointed straight at Vegeta, who was seated opposite her and across the table, emphasizing her statement; growing more pissed when he blatantly continued to ignore her.

"First he broke my room door, then I found my shower curtain affixed to the door lintel!"

"As I recalled, woman, you said you needed some basic privacy, that's as basic as it gets" Vegeta said after he polished another plate clean.

 

_~~~~~~~~~~ 6 AM, 3 hours ago ~~~~~~~~~~_

 

"Don't you knock!?" Bulma screamed when she exit her shower to find Vegeta standing in her room.

"Considering you couldn't hear me break the door down, I doubt you'd be able to hear me knock" Vegeta crossed his arms as he regarded Bulma dressed in nothing but a towel.

"YOU PERVERT!" she blushed, throwing various random items around her at Vegeta; he dodged most of it, knocking most of them out of the way. Her cosmetic container was next and his attempt to smack it only made things worse.

The container broke upon contact, unable to withstand his strength no matter how little strength he used. Powder quickly dispersed in all directions, there was powder on the floor, some parts of the wall and on both of them. Vegeta coughed, as did Bulma; both of them temporary crippled by the lack of vision, choking slightly as powder got into their mouths, noses and eyes.

"Now look at this mess!" Bulma complained the moment her vision returned.

"Who was the one throwing things?!" Vegeta countered.

"Who was the one who came barging into a lady's room!?" she fumed, then blinked when Vegeta trust his hand forward towards her, baring a towel… and that towel looked awfully… familiar. She blushed in multiple shades of pink and red. She quickly snatched the towel and ran into the bathroom, the whole time screaming what a jerk he was and how much she hated him.

…

"My scouter" he asked when she finally emerged.

"I told you I need time" she glared, still upset over his intrusion of her privacy amongst the other incidents that happened moments ago. "Our technology isn't as advanced as yours so put a lid on it. I said I'll fix it and I will. I would have made some progress if you hadn't given me nothing but trouble for these past few days. I couldn't even take a piss or a shower for one minute without you giving me grief"

"Hn. Don't blame me for your incompetence, I've done nothing but mind my own business. You're the one who keeps butting into mine and I don't need to know what you get up to behind closed bathroom doors" he turned his head elsewhere with a snort.

"You-! You know what? Fine! I'm going to see about that scouter and I expect you to be at your best behaviour so I can work in peace, you think you can do that?"

"Hn. Whatever" he'll just catch up on some training, no big deal. He turned to leave the room.

"By the way, you're cleaning up this mess and fixing my door"

"What?!" he looked back just before he exit the room.

"You heard me, it's your fault it's broken to begin with. I'll be back later and I want to see some results" Bulma crossed her own arms as she moved past him. "Look, just help me patch it up a bit ok? A lady still needs her privacy, basic at the very most. I'll order another door this evening, until then this will be temporary. It's not a difficult task, even a lady can do it. If you're really stuck then ask my father" she turned back just as she left his company, heading in the direction of the lab.

How dare she! Vegeta glared at her retreating form; ordering the prince of all saiyans around like a servant. He looked down, glaring even harder at the broken pieces of what's left of said door before an evil grin made its way to his face. It shouldn't be too hard to play 'nice' with his hostess, all she needed was the basic necessity for the day and the way he saw things, some re-adjustments to be made as well.

Oh he'll give her results alright and much more. It's only fair.

 

_~~~~~~~~~~ Back to current time ~~~~~~~~~~_

 

"I thought you would have used some bit of cow sense (common sense), or has most of it disappeared into your hair!?" she fumed.

"For your information, woman, my hairs stays the same from the day I was born. Second, I'm a Saiyan, the Prince of a proud race of warriors" Vegeta explained to the ignorant woman in his presence.

"My, isn't that sweet of you to fix Bulma's door, Vegeta. It's a small matter, dear. The repairs should be done by tonight." Panchii beamed as she placed a plate of food in front of her snarling daughter. "Eat up dear, you'll feel much better after breakfast"

Vegeta continued eating, paying no attention to Bulma or her overly gleeful, ditzy mother. The other person at the table was silent enough to suit his preference; the woman's father, Dr Brief.

"It's not just the curtain, the jerk rearranged the layout of my room! Do you know that he placed the toilet facility and by that I meant the toilet bowl in the middle of the room?! Which idiot does that!?"

"Recall what you said this morning, woman. You claimed you didn't have a minute to visit the bathroom, well now it's in the middle of your room. Convenient enough for you?" he smirked, not in the least bit sorry. Her insults thrown off his back, it was worth it just to see her riled up.

"Interesting choice of floor plan… Just capsulize it and place it back where you want it, Bulma" Dr Briefs reached for his cup of coffee.

"Getting worked up will age you quickly, dear. Here have some orange juice" Panchii settled a glass of juice beside her daughter who was doing her darnest to calm down.

"I see you're both still not convinced, I'll give you another example. I went to the toilet, the one in the 'middle' of my room" she glared at Vegeta as she stressed on the current location of her body waste facility. "When you push down the handle, do you know what should happen?"

"Wouldn't the toilet flush, dear?" her mother asked, confused at her question.

"Very good, mum. The toilet should flush, but in my room do you know what happens? The tap goes on, the lights go on and the shower goes on!" Bulma gave a heavy groan of exasperation.

Vegeta's smirk widened, not in the least bit bothered to 'explain' his actions; feeling smug at the results.

"One flush for all that? Hmmm… is this the usual practice for Saiyans?" Dr Brief wasn't asking Vegeta that question, he was merely stating a possible finding on the alien's habits. "Tell me Bulma, what happens when you turn the tap?" he asked as he raised both brows.

"Then my toilet starts to flush. And flush, and flush, and flush! It just kept on flushing until you turn the tap the other way!" she stabbed at her food, taking angry mouthfuls at a time.

"My scouter"

The enquired item came flying towards him. He caught it with relative ease, ignoring the insults that came with it after. He left the table and walked towards the living room, he settled it against his ear to test it out. He switched it on, so far everything seems fine. He tapped onto the communication network, pressing down on the button to see if he could get a signal from either Nappa or Raditz.

Finally some static could be heard.

"Who's this, answer me!" he tapped on his scouter impatiently. "I swear if you don't answer me in the next 2 seconds that will be hell to pay!"

"Jerk" she turned her back towards him, not in the mood to do any work at the moment. Instead, she took up the tv remote; switching the channel to her favourite drama, which so coincidently happened to coincide at the precise moment Vegeta thought he heard a voice.

"Finally! Speak up!" Vegeta growled his orders.

" _ **I love you, my darling"**_ a man's voice finally came on via his scouter.

"What the hell?" Vegeta was stupefied at the reply he got. "Who the fuck is this?!"

Bulma squealed with delight, finally after 27 episodes, he was going to propose to her. She held her breath as the man went down on one knee.

" _ **I ask you now, on bended knees if you would make me the happiest man in the world. Will you marry me?"**_

"GO TO HELL!" Vegeta shouted into his scouter.

"Will you quiet down!" Bulma looked over the couch, annoyed at Vegeta's outburst; damn now he made her miss some parts.

" _ **I'll build a home for us and our children"**_

"How's about you fuck yourself in the ass and-" He caught hold of a cushion Bulma threw towards him. "What the hell was that for, woman!?" he growled, turning his attention to her.

"It's Bulma and I'm trying to watch a show! Keep your voice down!"

"Don't even begin to think you can order me around woma-" the voice from the television caught his attention.

" _ **With you by my side, I would forsake all else. I would love you like no other man would. Darling, please say yes"**_

"Say yes… come on. Say yes" Bulma was on the edge of her seat, grasping the remote control tightly when all of a sudden, she felt a strong tug, causing her to lose the remote. "Hey! What are you doing!?" she all but screamed in horror as Vegeta hit the red button on the remote, turning the television off.

He followed up by removing his scouter, putting it on speaker.

" _ **My love, I've waited so long for this moment… hold me in your arms and I'm yours forever. I don't care what the world thinks, I love you and only you"**_

" _ **Tune in next week for the next episode of 'The price for love'"**_

Bulma blinked, confused then surprised when she connected the dots and the look of annoyance present on the Saiyan's face. Oops.

"Back to the old drawing board" She took back the scouter and switched it off; how embarrassing. Still, the only way about it was to trial and error, she had never fixed a technology she had never seen before but she would learn from mistakes and do better on the next round. She'll get it to work, this she swore.

"My scouter was supposed to be able to transmit messages through space and beyond, woman. Not for this bullshit!"

"Ahem. If I may-"

"Get off my case, royal jerk! I told you before we don't know such technology, it would have been easier if I knew how your technology works but since I don't, I have no choice but to trial and error! I said I'll get it fixed and I will, it won't kill you to exercise some patience!"

"If I may cut in-"

"WHAT!?" the pair turned in sync at the new voice, the impact of their combined yell seemingly powerful enough to push him a step or two back, shocking Dr Brief as he regained his balance.

"As I was saying, hmm... what was it again? Oh yes, I have a few questions I would like to ask. General answers regarding your transportation if I may, my boy?" he asked.

"I'm not a child and I'm not yours. What of it?" Vegeta could not wrap his head around the unusual old man... or his wife.

"Your means of transportation was damaged beyond any possibility of repair but amongst the debris, however, I was able to salvage some fragments of interest and something very unique. Might I ask if this is what I think it is?" he held up an object Bulma never saw before.

"That's the pod's self destruction unit" Vegeta recognised the small device.

"WHAT?! DAD, GET RID OF IT!" Bulma practically screamed, her face turning as pale as sheet to be so close to something that could blow up.

"Truly? This is very remarkable" Her father however, did not seem to be in sync with his daughter's panic. Instead he looked at the tiny thing and marvelled at how something so small could actually pack that much power to destroy the Saiyan's means of transportation, even the materials used for that was sturdy. Just imagine the possibilities, if they could build a ship that can withstand elements... hmm maybe he could up the stakes by making them resistant to catastrophic imparts, such as the meteor their Saiyan guest ran into.

"Can't you shut up, woman! It ceased its usefulness the moment the Pod was destroyed! It's no longer functional, damn it!"

"Are you sure?" she asked, still reluctant to take her eyes off that thing.

"Why don't you throw it against the wall and find out?!" Vegeta's irritation went up another notch.

"It's true, Bulma. I've been tampering with it for a bit and it hasn't reacted once" Dr Brief nodded at his daughter.

"My god! You went tinkering on it without knowing what it was?! I can't believe it!" at this rate, Bulma swore she was going to age faster.

"And what about this?" he brought up another broken item with a melted off edge to it, showing it to Vegeta.

"That's a galaxy map system unit, mostly used as a broadcast unit whenever we arrive at any planet.

"Oh, there are others?"

"Hence why I need the repairs to my scouter" he gritted his teeth as he gave his answer, glaring daggers at Bulma.

"I'll get it fixed, just you wait!" Bulma growled her reply back, sending him a glare of her own.

"I'm waiting and I don't see results. Care to argue your case?"

"You! Just you wait, the one I make will make yours look like a kid's toy!"

Both hotheaded individuals stared down the other, determined to argue and prove their cases when there was none to be brought forth at the moment.

"Actually, there might be a chance to programme that lens according to your requirements. As it is, we managed to salvage some parts, with the appropriate research and study we may be able to replicate or better yet, obtain better results with sufficient insights from our findings in the finished product. Tell you what my boy, give Bulma and myself time. I promise you, you will reunite with your friends" Dr Brief reached forward to pat Vegeta's shoulder, a dangerous approach on any other given time.

Vegeta glared hard moments before he moved his shoulders, dislodging the elder's hand off him; becoming further annoyed when the old man took no offence at his actions and laughed good naturedly. The elder continued to address him as one would regard a son, completely oblivious to any obvious sense of danger. Fool! He was no son of his, nor was he nice! If not for the fact that he still had a need for them, he'd- FUCK!

"FINE!" he turned elsewhere, annoyed at himself at his apparent weakness! His turn to be blissfully unaware of Bulma's sudden smile when she caught the secondary meaning of his ranting. It had not escaped her, how he so 'easily' gave into her father's wishes; giving him some level of respect despite his mouth suggesting otherwise, earning him some redemption points in her book.

"Good good. I will need to see to this..." then he realised that the Saiyan was currently wearing the same old white shirt he wore 3 days ago... it was no surprise, they had nothing else that could fit him, aside from his old shirts and pants and there were the yukatas he wore during the earlier part of 2 weeks; even that supply was dwindling. There was nothing else he could use, and it was always the same 4 pairs; in a repeated cycle, from the wardrobe to the washing machine and back again. That had to change.

"Since I will be busy. Why don't you find something else to do until I get the results, Bulma? I think our guest requires a new set of wardrobe, don't you think? I'm surprised you haven't done that already, but seeing that he's able to move about, perhaps it's a good idea to get him more suitable clothes, shoes... oh you know the works" he suggested to his daughter, giving Bulma something to do in the meantime; not that it was a chore to her, she absolutely loved it.

"I'm still standing here! Don't even start talking about me like I'm not!" Vegeta didn't know what this conversation was about, but he certainly didn't want a part in it, not after he saw that twinkle in the woman's eyes or that smile on her face.

"That's a wonderful idea!" she quickly jumped onto that suggestion, more than willing to subject him to a whole day of shopping with her. Something she knew he wouldn't like, Yamcha didn't either after all and she knew how to drag the hours doing so. But on another note, her father was right. Vegeta had stayed with them for 2 weeks and she felt bad not realising she had neglected to get him anything decent to wear, even if he was likely staying for a short duration.

That needed to be remedied.

"It's settled then, come with me. You stink, you need a shower, after that we're getting you some new clothes unless you want to wear those torn rags. Thanks to your stubbornness, you've ruined them because of your 'training', keep it up and you'll be naked. Unless you think it's proper to go around in your birthday suit. We're getting them so no arguing with me" she began walking towards the bathroom, one that was still functioning properly; without his hand in altering it. "What? Need me to draw you an arrow to follow or something? Try to keep up" she added that in when he failed to follow her.

"Ch!" he grumbled under his breath but followed behind her.

...

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?!" Vegeta yelled the moment he came out of the bathroom, horrified at the choice of clothes Bulma left for him.

"Don't over exaggerate, Vegeta. Everything else is either torn or in the wash. Just wear it"

"If this is one of your clothes!" he refused to be seen in pink.

"It's not! It's my dad's old clothes, the last one that fits you. It's just the fashion" she smirked behind the safety of the closed bathroom door. Oh that was the fashion 20 years at least. "Look, the faster you get ready, the sooner we can get the shopping over and done with and you won't have to wear that, but until you have something else decent, those will have to do"

"I look ridiculous!" he cursed as he made his entrance, not surprised when she laughed. "Stop it!"

"I'm sorry" she snickered, nowhere 100% sincere in her apology.

"Whatever! Do what needs to be done before I decide to leave no eyewitnesses!" he growled once again as his tail bristled, hidden inside his current clothes.

"Alright, bad man" she winked at the confusion in his face. "Think of it as a camouflage, prince. You don't want to stick out like a sore thumb, attract any unnecessary attention. They don't teach that to warriors?"

"Hn!" Vegeta refused to comment on that, if he was to be miserable he might as well be miserable on his own terms; but this shopping thing was something entirely new to him and that itself might be a challenge even to a Saiyan.

He watched Bulma from the corner of his eye, quickly noticing the joy in her features that seem somewhat almost sinister? Somehow... he had this premonition that she might be plotting against him, get back at him for his stunt earlier in the day. For one thing, he was at least absolutely certain, the choice of clothes she picked for him was deliberate.

 

To be continued ~

 


End file.
